China clamps down on internet freedom

China has passed a sweeping law tightening restrictions on internet freedoms, a move that foreign businesses say threatens to shut them out of one of the world’s biggest technology markets, reports the Financial Times. “Overseas groups have been lobbying Beijing to amend the cybersecurity law since it was first mooted in 2014 but the final version, which was adopted on Monday, left most of the controversial sections intact. Provisions in the new rules, which come into effect next June, require operators of ‘critical information infrastructure’ to store certain personal and business data in China, undergo national security reviews and assist the country’s security agencies.” Other clauses could be used to ban foreign technology in communications, encryption and even the internet of things as China develops its own systems, products and algorithms, analysts say. The American Chamber of Commerce in China on Monday said the law was “a step backwards for innovation” because it placed restrictions on cross-border data flows and seemed “to emphasise protectionism rather than security”. Read more

Tuesday, 22 November 2016

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